Ron Kovic
Encyclopedia
Ronald Lawrence Kovic is an anti-war
activist
, veteran
and writer
who was paralyzed in the Vietnam War
. He is best known as the author of the memoir Born on the Fourth of July
, which was made into an Academy Award–winning movie
directed by Oliver Stone
, with Tom Cruise
playing Kovic. Kovic received the Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay on January 20, 1990, exactly 22 years to the day that he was wounded in Vietnam. Ron Kovic was also nominated for an Academy Award for best screen play. Bruce Springsteen
wrote the song "Shut Out The Light" after reading Kovic's memoir and then meeting him. Tom Paxton
, the folk singer/political activist, wrote the song "Born on the Fourth of July", which is on his "New Songs from the Briarpatch" album. Academy Award winning actress Jane Fonda
has stated that Ron Kovic's story was the inspiration for her film Coming Home.
, and was raised in Massapequa, New York
in a Roman Catholic household. Inspired by President John F. Kennedy
's "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country" speech, he joined the United States Marine Corps
after high school in September 1964 and was assigned to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island
, South Carolina
for twelve weeks of intensive recruit training
. He was awarded the rank of Private First Class
out of boot camp and became the push-up champion of his battalion
. Kovic was then sent to the Infantry Training Regiment
at Camp Lejeune
, North Carolina
for advanced combat training. He returned home to Massapequa in late December 1964 just in time for Christmas. After several weeks leave Kovic was assigned to the Marine Corps Barracks at Norfolk, Virginia
where he attended radio school and learned communication skills, including the International Morse Code. He was next assigned to the Second Field Artillery Battalion, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
and was deployed to Vietnam in December 1965 as a member of the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines
H&S Company. In June 1966, he volunteered for First Reconnaissance Battalion
where he participated in 22 long range reconnaissance patrols
in enemy territory. He returned home on January 15, 1967 after a 13 month tour of duty, and was assigned to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
at Cherry Point
, North Carolina. Several months later he volunteered to return to Vietnam a second time.
He is a decorated U.S. Marine
who served two tours of duty in the Vietnam War
, where he was awarded the Bronze Star
with "V" device for valor and the Purple Heart
. In October 1967, Kovic accidentally shot and killed one of his Marines when a NVA unit ambushed him and his men near a village along the Cua Viet River. Kovic claimed it was an accident and no one has ever disputed his claim. On January 20, 1968, while leading an attack on a village just north of the Cua Viet River in the Demilitarized Zone
, he was shot while leading his squad across an open area. He was shot first in the right foot, which blew out the back of his heel, then again through the right shoulder, suffering a collapsed lung
and a spinal cord injury
that left him paralyzed from the chest down. The first Marine that tried to save him was shot through the heart and killed, then a second Marine carried Kovic to safety through heavy enemy fire (Kovic learned years later that this second Marine was killed later that afternoon). He then spent a week in an intensive care ward in Da Nang
.
Kovic became one of the best-known peace activist
s among the veteran
s of the war and has been arrested for political protest 12 times. He attended his first peace demonstration soon after the Kent State shootings
in May 1970, and gave his first speech against the war at Levittown Memorial High School in Levittown
, Long Island
, New York that same spring. Kovic's speech that day was interrupted by a bomb threat and the auditorium cleared. Undeterred, Kovic continued speaking to students from the school's football grandstands. His first arrest was during an anti-Vietnam War demonstration at an Orange County, California
draft board in the spring of 1971 when he refused to leave the office of the draft board explaining to a representative that by sending young men to Vietnam they were inadvertently, "condemning them to their death," or to be wounded and maimed like himself in a war that he had come to believe was, "immoral and made no sense." He was told that if he did not leave the draft board immediately he would be arrested. Kovic refused to leave and was taken away by police. In a new introduction to his book, Born on the Fourth of July
, written in March 2005, Kovic stated, "I wanted people to understand. I wanted to share with them as nakedly and openly and intimately as possible what I had gone through, what I had endured. I wanted them to know what it really meant to be in a war—to be shot and wounded, to be fighting for my life on the intensive care ward—not the myth we had grown up believing. I wanted people to know about the hospitals and the enema room, about why I had become opposed to the war, why I had grown more and more committed to peace and nonviolence. I had been beaten by the police and arrested twelve times for protesting the war and I had spent many nights in jail in my wheelchair. I had been called a Communist and a traitor, simply for trying to tell the truth about what had happened in that war, but I refused to be intimidated." In early 1989, he presented Tom Cruise
with his Bronze Star
medal on the final day of filming Born on the Fourth of July explaining to the actor that he was giving him the award as a gift for his "courageous portrayal of the true horrors of war." Time Magazine reported that Oliver Stone
said, "He gave it to Tom for bravery for having gone through this experience in hell as much as any person can without actually having been there."
In 1974, Kovic led a group of disabled Vietnam War veterans in wheelchairs on a 17-day hunger strike
inside the Los Angeles office of Senator Alan Cranston
. The veterans protested the "poor treatment in America's Veterans Hospitals" and demanded better treatment for returning veterans, a full investigation of all Veterans Affairs
(V.A.) facilities, and a face-to-face meeting with head of the V.A. Donald E. Johnson. The strike continued to escalate until Johnson finally agreed to fly out from Washington, D.C.
, and meet with the veterans. The hunger strike ended soon after that. Several months later Johnson resigned. In the spring of 1975 Kovic, photojournalist Loretta Smith, and author Richard Boyle
traveled to cover the Cambodian Civil War
as correspondents for the Pacific News Service
.
Kovic was a speaker at the 1976 Democratic National Convention
, seconding the nomination of draft resister Fritz Efaw for Vice President of the United States. On July 12, 1977 Kovic was arrested with 191 students and supporters during the Gym protests at Kent State University. From 1990 to 1991, Kovic took part in several anti-war
demonstrations against the first Gulf War
, which occurred not long after the release of his biographical film. He is currently an outspoken critic of the Iraq War. In November 2003, he joined protests in London
against the visit of George W. Bush
. He was the guest of honor at a reception held for British peacemakers at London's city hall by Mayor Ken Livingstone
. The following day, he led a march of several hundred thousand demonstrators on Trafalgar Square
, where a huge rally was held protesting the visit of George W. Bush and the war in Iraq. Kovic attended the 2008 Democratic National Convention
in Denver, Colorado
. On Sunday, August 24, 2008, the day before the convention began, Kovic spoke, then led thousands in a march against the war.
In March 2007, Kovic checked into the Ernest Bors Spinal Cord Injury ward of the Veterans Administration Hospital in Long Beach
, California
, for an undisclosed illness.
On April 8, 2009 Kovic joined British MP and activist George Galloway
to launch Viva Palestina USA, an American branch of Viva Palestina
. Kovic will co-lead with Mr. Galloway a humanitarian relief convoy to the Gaza Strip in early July, 2009. On December 6, 2009 Kovic spoke honoring Bruce Springsteen
at the 32nd annual Kennedy Center Honors
in Washington, D.C. On December 22, 2009 Ron Kovic, Oliver Stone
, and friends celebrated the 20th anniversary of the 1989 film release of Born on the Fourth of July at a dinner party in Torrance, California. In April 2010 Ron Kovic traveled to Rome Italy as a member of the Council for Dignity, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation. Between April, 19-26 Kovic attended meetings at Rome's City Hall with other international peace activists, diplomats and academics, to discuss the need for conflict resolution and other more peaceful, nonviolent alternatives to war as a way of solving the worlds many conflicts. On the 21st of April, 2010, Ron Kovic spoke of his journey from war to peace, forgiveness, and reconciliation before Rome's mayor Gianni Alemanno, and other civic leaders at Rome's Ara Pacis
(Altar of Augustan Peace) commissioned by the Roman Senate 4 July- 13 BC.
Kovic lives in Redondo Beach, California
, where he writes, paints, plays the piano, and gardens. He has never married. He plans to begin writing the long-awaited sequel to his book, Born on The Fourth of July, sometime in the spring of 2010.
Interviewed:
Anti-war
An anti-war movement is a social movement, usually in opposition to a particular nation's decision to start or carry on an armed conflict, unconditional of a maybe-existing just cause. The term can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during conflicts. Many...
activist
Activism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
, veteran
Veteran
A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
who was paralyzed in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. He is best known as the author of the memoir Born on the Fourth of July
Born on the Fourth of July
Born on the Fourth of July is the best selling autobiography of Ron Kovic, a paralyzed Vietnam War veteran who became an anti-war activist. Kovic was born on July 4, 1946, and his book's ironic title echoed a famous line from George M. Cohan's patriotic 1904 song, "The Yankee Doodle Boy"...
, which was made into an Academy Award–winning movie
Born on the Fourth of July (film)
Born on the Fourth of July is a 1989 American film adaptation of the best selling autobiography of the same name by Vietnam War veteran Ron Kovic. Tom Cruise plays Kovic, in a performance that earned him his first Academy Award nomination. Oliver Stone co-wrote the screenplay with Kovic, and also...
directed by Oliver Stone
Oliver Stone
William Oliver Stone is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Stone became well known in the late 1980s and the early 1990s for directing a series of films about the Vietnam War, for which he had previously participated as an infantry soldier. His work frequently focuses on...
, with Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....
playing Kovic. Kovic received the Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay on January 20, 1990, exactly 22 years to the day that he was wounded in Vietnam. Ron Kovic was also nominated for an Academy Award for best screen play. Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
wrote the song "Shut Out The Light" after reading Kovic's memoir and then meeting him. Tom Paxton
Tom Paxton
Thomas Richard Paxton is an American folk singer and singer-songwriter who has been writing, performing and recording music for over forty years...
, the folk singer/political activist, wrote the song "Born on the Fourth of July", which is on his "New Songs from the Briarpatch" album. Academy Award winning actress Jane Fonda
Jane Fonda
Jane Fonda is an American actress, writer, political activist, former fashion model, and fitness guru. She rose to fame in the 1960s with films such as Barbarella and Cat Ballou. She has won two Academy Awards and received several other movie awards and nominations during more than 50 years as an...
has stated that Ron Kovic's story was the inspiration for her film Coming Home.
Early life
Kovic was born in Ladysmith, WisconsinLadysmith, Wisconsin
Ladysmith is a city in Rusk County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,932 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Rusk County. It is the former location of Mount Senario College, which closed in 2002 due to significant debt. For the 2006-2007 school year, part of the former campus...
, and was raised in Massapequa, New York
Massapequa, New York
Massapequa is a hamlet located in the suburban Nassau County, New York. As of the 2010 census, the CDP had a total population of 21,685.Massapequa is located on the South Shore of Long Island....
in a Roman Catholic household. Inspired by President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
's "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country" speech, he joined the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
after high school in September 1964 and was assigned to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island
Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island
Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island is an military installation located within Port Royal, South Carolina, approximately south of Beaufort, the community that is typically associated with the installation. MCRD Parris Island is used for the training of enlisted Marines...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
for twelve weeks of intensive recruit training
Recruit training
Recruit training, more commonly known as Basic Training and colloquially called Boot Camp, is the initial indoctrination and instruction given to new military personnel, enlisted and officer...
. He was awarded the rank of Private First Class
Private First Class
Private First Class is a military rank held by junior enlisted persons.- Singapore :The rank of Private First Class in the Singapore Armed Forces lies between the ranks of Private and Lance-Corporal . It is usually held by conscript soldiers midway through their national service term...
out of boot camp and became the push-up champion of his battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
. Kovic was then sent to the Infantry Training Regiment
United States Marine Corps School of Infantry
The School of Infantry is the second stage of initial military training for enlisted United States Marines after Recruit Training. Since the initial training pipeline is divided between coasts, Marines from areas east of the Mississippi River usually graduate from MCRD Parris Island and move on to...
at Camp Lejeune
Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune
Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune is a United States military training facility in North Carolina. The base's of beaches make it a major area for amphibious assault training, and its location between two deep-water ports allows for fast deployments.The main base is supplemented by five satellite...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
for advanced combat training. He returned home to Massapequa in late December 1964 just in time for Christmas. After several weeks leave Kovic was assigned to the Marine Corps Barracks at Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
where he attended radio school and learned communication skills, including the International Morse Code. He was next assigned to the Second Field Artillery Battalion, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
Service in Vietnam and injury
He volunteered for his first tour of dutyTour of duty
In the Navy, a tour of duty is a period of time spent performing operational duties at sea, including combat, performing patrol or fleet duties, or assigned to service in a foreign country....
and was deployed to Vietnam in December 1965 as a member of the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines
3rd Battalion 7th Marines
The 3rd Battalion 7th Marine Regiment is an infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps. They are based at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms and consist of approximately 800 Marines. The battalion falls under the command of the 7th Marine Regiment and the 1st...
H&S Company. In June 1966, he volunteered for First Reconnaissance Battalion
United States Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance
The Force Reconnaissance Companies , are one of the United States Marine Corps's special operations "capable" forces that provide essential elements of military intelligence to the command element of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force ; supporting the landing or joint task force commanders, and...
where he participated in 22 long range reconnaissance patrols
Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol
Long Range Reconnaissance Patrols, or LRRPs , were special small four to six-man teams in the Vietnam War on highly dangerous special reconnaissance missions deep into enemy territory....
in enemy territory. He returned home on January 15, 1967 after a 13 month tour of duty, and was assigned to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
The 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing is the major east coast aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps and is based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina...
at Cherry Point
Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point
Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point or MCAS Cherry Point is a United States Marine Corps airfield located in Havelock, North Carolina, USA, in the eastern part of the state...
, North Carolina. Several months later he volunteered to return to Vietnam a second time.
He is a decorated U.S. Marine
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
who served two tours of duty in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, where he was awarded the Bronze Star
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
with "V" device for valor and the Purple Heart
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
. In October 1967, Kovic accidentally shot and killed one of his Marines when a NVA unit ambushed him and his men near a village along the Cua Viet River. Kovic claimed it was an accident and no one has ever disputed his claim. On January 20, 1968, while leading an attack on a village just north of the Cua Viet River in the Demilitarized Zone
Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone
The Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone was established as a dividing line between North and South Vietnam as a result of the First Indochina War.During the Second Indochina War , it became important as the battleground demarcation separating North Vietnamese territory from South Vietnamese territory.-...
, he was shot while leading his squad across an open area. He was shot first in the right foot, which blew out the back of his heel, then again through the right shoulder, suffering a collapsed lung
Pneumothorax
Pneumothorax is a collection of air or gas in the pleural cavity of the chest between the lung and the chest wall. It may occur spontaneously in people without chronic lung conditions as well as in those with lung disease , and many pneumothoraces occur after physical trauma to the chest, blast...
and a spinal cord injury
Spinal cord injury
A spinal cord injury refers to any injury to the spinal cord that is caused by trauma instead of disease. Depending on where the spinal cord and nerve roots are damaged, the symptoms can vary widely, from pain to paralysis to incontinence...
that left him paralyzed from the chest down. The first Marine that tried to save him was shot through the heart and killed, then a second Marine carried Kovic to safety through heavy enemy fire (Kovic learned years later that this second Marine was killed later that afternoon). He then spent a week in an intensive care ward in Da Nang
Da Nang
Đà Nẵng , occasionally Danang, is a major port city in the South Central Coast of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea at the mouth of the Han River. It is the commercial and educational center of Central Vietnam; its well-sheltered, easily accessible port and its location on the path of...
.
Activism
Kovic became one of the best-known peace activist
Peace activist
This list of peace activists includes people who proactively advocate diplomatic, non-military resolution of political disputes, usually through nonviolent means.A peace activist is an activist of the peace movement.*Jane Addams*Martti Ahtisaari...
s among the veteran
Veteran
A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
s of the war and has been arrested for political protest 12 times. He attended his first peace demonstration soon after the Kent State shootings
Kent State shootings
The Kent State shootings—also known as the May 4 massacre or the Kent State massacre—occurred at Kent State University in the city of Kent, Ohio, and involved the shooting of unarmed college students by members of the Ohio National Guard on Monday, May 4, 1970...
in May 1970, and gave his first speech against the war at Levittown Memorial High School in Levittown
Levittown, New York
Levittown is a hamlet in the Town of Hempstead located on Long Island in Nassau County, New York. Levittown is midway between the villages of Hempstead and Farmingdale. As of the 2010 census, the CDP had a total population of 51,881....
, Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, New York that same spring. Kovic's speech that day was interrupted by a bomb threat and the auditorium cleared. Undeterred, Kovic continued speaking to students from the school's football grandstands. His first arrest was during an anti-Vietnam War demonstration at an Orange County, California
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
draft board in the spring of 1971 when he refused to leave the office of the draft board explaining to a representative that by sending young men to Vietnam they were inadvertently, "condemning them to their death," or to be wounded and maimed like himself in a war that he had come to believe was, "immoral and made no sense." He was told that if he did not leave the draft board immediately he would be arrested. Kovic refused to leave and was taken away by police. In a new introduction to his book, Born on the Fourth of July
Born on the Fourth of July
Born on the Fourth of July is the best selling autobiography of Ron Kovic, a paralyzed Vietnam War veteran who became an anti-war activist. Kovic was born on July 4, 1946, and his book's ironic title echoed a famous line from George M. Cohan's patriotic 1904 song, "The Yankee Doodle Boy"...
, written in March 2005, Kovic stated, "I wanted people to understand. I wanted to share with them as nakedly and openly and intimately as possible what I had gone through, what I had endured. I wanted them to know what it really meant to be in a war—to be shot and wounded, to be fighting for my life on the intensive care ward—not the myth we had grown up believing. I wanted people to know about the hospitals and the enema room, about why I had become opposed to the war, why I had grown more and more committed to peace and nonviolence. I had been beaten by the police and arrested twelve times for protesting the war and I had spent many nights in jail in my wheelchair. I had been called a Communist and a traitor, simply for trying to tell the truth about what had happened in that war, but I refused to be intimidated." In early 1989, he presented Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....
with his Bronze Star
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
medal on the final day of filming Born on the Fourth of July explaining to the actor that he was giving him the award as a gift for his "courageous portrayal of the true horrors of war." Time Magazine reported that Oliver Stone
Oliver Stone
William Oliver Stone is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Stone became well known in the late 1980s and the early 1990s for directing a series of films about the Vietnam War, for which he had previously participated as an infantry soldier. His work frequently focuses on...
said, "He gave it to Tom for bravery for having gone through this experience in hell as much as any person can without actually having been there."
In 1974, Kovic led a group of disabled Vietnam War veterans in wheelchairs on a 17-day hunger strike
Hunger strike
A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
inside the Los Angeles office of Senator Alan Cranston
Alan Cranston
Alan MacGregor Cranston was an American journalist and Democratic Senator from California.-Education:Cranston earned his high school diploma from the old Mountain View High School, where among other things, he was a track star...
. The veterans protested the "poor treatment in America's Veterans Hospitals" and demanded better treatment for returning veterans, a full investigation of all Veterans Affairs
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is the United States government’s second largest department, after the United States Department of Defense...
(V.A.) facilities, and a face-to-face meeting with head of the V.A. Donald E. Johnson. The strike continued to escalate until Johnson finally agreed to fly out from Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and meet with the veterans. The hunger strike ended soon after that. Several months later Johnson resigned. In the spring of 1975 Kovic, photojournalist Loretta Smith, and author Richard Boyle
Richard Boyle
Richard Boyle may refer to:*Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork , Lord High Treasurer of Ireland*Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Burlington and 2nd earl of Cork , Lord High Treasurer of Ireland and a cavalier...
traveled to cover the Cambodian Civil War
Cambodian Civil War
The Cambodian Civil War was a conflict that pitted the forces of the Communist Party of Kampuchea and their allies the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the Viet Cong against the government forces of Cambodia , which were supported by the United States and the Republic of Vietnam The Cambodian...
as correspondents for the Pacific News Service
Pacific News Service
Pacific News Service is a nonprofit media organization founded in 1969 by Franz Schurmann, the historian, and Orville Schell, a noted author, journalist and Dean of the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley...
.
Kovic was a speaker at the 1976 Democratic National Convention
1976 Democratic National Convention
The 1976 Democratic National Convention met at Madison Square Garden in New York City, from July 12 to July 15, 1976. The assembled United States Democratic Party delegates at the convention nominated Governor Jimmy Carter of Georgia for President and Senator Walter Mondale of Minnesota for Vice...
, seconding the nomination of draft resister Fritz Efaw for Vice President of the United States. On July 12, 1977 Kovic was arrested with 191 students and supporters during the Gym protests at Kent State University. From 1990 to 1991, Kovic took part in several anti-war
Anti-war
An anti-war movement is a social movement, usually in opposition to a particular nation's decision to start or carry on an armed conflict, unconditional of a maybe-existing just cause. The term can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during conflicts. Many...
demonstrations against the first Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
, which occurred not long after the release of his biographical film. He is currently an outspoken critic of the Iraq War. In November 2003, he joined protests in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
against the visit of George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
. He was the guest of honor at a reception held for British peacemakers at London's city hall by Mayor Ken Livingstone
Ken Livingstone
Kenneth Robert "Ken" Livingstone is an English politician who is currently a member of the centrist to centre-left Labour Party...
. The following day, he led a march of several hundred thousand demonstrators on Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square is a public space and tourist attraction in central London, England, United Kingdom. At its centre is Nelson's Column, which is guarded by four lion statues at its base. There are a number of statues and sculptures in the square, with one plinth displaying changing pieces of...
, where a huge rally was held protesting the visit of George W. Bush and the war in Iraq. Kovic attended the 2008 Democratic National Convention
2008 Democratic National Convention
The United States 2008 Democratic National Convention was a quadrennial presidential nominating convention of the Democratic Party where it adopted its national platform and officially nominated its candidates for President and Vice President of the United States. The convention was held in Denver,...
in Denver, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. On Sunday, August 24, 2008, the day before the convention began, Kovic spoke, then led thousands in a march against the war.
In March 2007, Kovic checked into the Ernest Bors Spinal Cord Injury ward of the Veterans Administration Hospital in Long Beach
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, for an undisclosed illness.
Recent activity
On January 20, 2008, Kovic celebrated his 40th anniversary of having been shot and paralyzed in the Vietnam War. Kovic stated in March 2005 that "The scar will always be there, a living reminder of that war, but it has also become something beautiful now, something of faith and hope and love. I have been given the opportunity to move through that dark night of the soul to a new shore, to gain an understanding, a knowledge, and entirely different vision. I now believe I have suffered for a reason and in many ways I have found that reason in my commitment to peace and nonviolence. My life has been a blessing in disguise, even with the pain and great difficulty that my physical disability continues to bring. It is a blessing to speak on behalf of peace, to be able to reach such a great number of people."On April 8, 2009 Kovic joined British MP and activist George Galloway
George Galloway
George Galloway is a British politician, author, journalist and broadcaster who was a Member of Parliament from 1987 to 2010. He was formerly an MP for the Labour Party, first for Glasgow Hillhead and later for Glasgow Kelvin, before his expulsion from the party in October 2003, the same year...
to launch Viva Palestina USA, an American branch of Viva Palestina
Viva Palestina
Viva Palestina is a British-based registered charity which came into being in January 2009 with the initial intention of running a humanitarian aid convoy to the Gaza Strip...
. Kovic will co-lead with Mr. Galloway a humanitarian relief convoy to the Gaza Strip in early July, 2009. On December 6, 2009 Kovic spoke honoring Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
at the 32nd annual Kennedy Center Honors
Kennedy Center Honors
The Kennedy Center Honors is an annual honor given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture. The Honors have been presented annually since 1978 in Washington, D.C., during gala weekend-long events which culminate in a performance for—and...
in Washington, D.C. On December 22, 2009 Ron Kovic, Oliver Stone
Oliver Stone
William Oliver Stone is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Stone became well known in the late 1980s and the early 1990s for directing a series of films about the Vietnam War, for which he had previously participated as an infantry soldier. His work frequently focuses on...
, and friends celebrated the 20th anniversary of the 1989 film release of Born on the Fourth of July at a dinner party in Torrance, California. In April 2010 Ron Kovic traveled to Rome Italy as a member of the Council for Dignity, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation. Between April, 19-26 Kovic attended meetings at Rome's City Hall with other international peace activists, diplomats and academics, to discuss the need for conflict resolution and other more peaceful, nonviolent alternatives to war as a way of solving the worlds many conflicts. On the 21st of April, 2010, Ron Kovic spoke of his journey from war to peace, forgiveness, and reconciliation before Rome's mayor Gianni Alemanno, and other civic leaders at Rome's Ara Pacis
Ara Pacis
The Ara Pacis Augustae is an altar to Peace, envisioned as a Roman goddess...
(Altar of Augustan Peace) commissioned by the Roman Senate 4 July- 13 BC.
Kovic lives in Redondo Beach, California
Redondo Beach, California
Redondo Beach is one of the three Beach Cities located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 66,748 at the 2010 census, up from 63,261 at the 2000 census. The city is located in the South Bay region of the greater Los Angeles area.Redondo Beach was originally part of...
, where he writes, paints, plays the piano, and gardens. He has never married. He plans to begin writing the long-awaited sequel to his book, Born on The Fourth of July, sometime in the spring of 2010.
Films
- 1973 - Operation Last Patrol. Directed by Frank Cavestani and Catherine LeroyCatherine LeroyCatherine Leroy was a French-born photojournalist and war photographer, whose stark images of battle illustrated the story of the Vietnam War in the pages of Life magazine and other publications.-Life:...
. - 1989 - Born on the Fourth of JulyBorn on the Fourth of July (film)Born on the Fourth of July is a 1989 American film adaptation of the best selling autobiography of the same name by Vietnam War veteran Ron Kovic. Tom Cruise plays Kovic, in a performance that earned him his first Academy Award nomination. Oliver Stone co-wrote the screenplay with Kovic, and also...
. Directed by Oliver StoneOliver StoneWilliam Oliver Stone is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Stone became well known in the late 1980s and the early 1990s for directing a series of films about the Vietnam War, for which he had previously participated as an infantry soldier. His work frequently focuses on...
.
Interviewed:
- 2005 - One Bright Shining Moment: The Forgotten Summer of George McGovernOne Bright Shining MomentOne Bright Shining Moment: The Forgotten Summer of George McGovern is a documentary film directed by Stephen Vittoria. It chronicles the unsuccessful 1972 presidential campaign of Democrat George McGovern....
. Directed by Stephen Vittoria. - 2006 - The U.S. vs. John Lennon. Directed by David LeafDavid LeafDavid Leaf is an American writer, producer and director known for documentaries, music programs and pop culture retrospectives. Among his best known documentaries are The Night James Brown Saved Boston , The U.S. vs. John Lennon and Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson and the Story of SMiLE...
& John Scheinfeld.
See also
- Born on the Fourth of JulyBorn on the Fourth of JulyBorn on the Fourth of July is the best selling autobiography of Ron Kovic, a paralyzed Vietnam War veteran who became an anti-war activist. Kovic was born on July 4, 1946, and his book's ironic title echoed a famous line from George M. Cohan's patriotic 1904 song, "The Yankee Doodle Boy"...
- S. Brian Willson
- Vietnam Veterans Against the WarVietnam Veterans Against the WarVietnam Veterans Against the War is a tax-exempt non-profit organization and corporation, originally created to oppose the Vietnam War. VVAW describes itself as a national veterans' organization that campaigns for peace, justice, and the rights of all United States military veterans...
External links
- Kovic, Ron. "Born on the Fourth of July: The Long Journey Home", AlterNet, posted June 13, 2005.
- "Veterans Speak Out", truthout.org, video, November 14, 2005.
- Gilmer, Tim. "Ron Kovic Reborn", profile from the Independent Media Institute, June 20, 2003.
- CNN interview with Kovic: "Peace movement will be largest ever", January 17, 2003.
- "Ron Kovic Vietnam Veteran", Heroism Project profile.
- Kovic, Ron. "The Forgotten Wounded of Iraq", TruthDig.com, January 18, 2006.
- Kovic, Ron. "Breaking the Silence of the Night", TruthDig.com, October 10, 2006.
- Fanucci, Kenneth. "It's All Coming Together For Ron Kovic", S.F. Examiner, June 25, 1978.
- Eterovich, Adam S. "Croatians in California, 1849-1999", Ragusan Press, San Carlos, CA, 2000, p 600, ISBN 0-918660-98-X